How was that possible?
She tried again. This time, he dodged the arrow, and the next one he cut in half with his sword.
Someone a lot more powerful than Athena guarded this one. It was an old power ...
Chthonian?
If she didn't know better, she'd say it was primal in source. But there was no way a primal power would waste itself on a young human prince. Not even one so pretty.
Summoning her horse, she joined ranks with her great-grandfather to go after Styxx and end his putrid existence.
Misos's glowing green eyes widened in surprise of her sudden appearance. "What are you doing?"
She pointed to Styxx. "I want that one dead."
"He must be Athena's."
"Get him, Tattas!"
He smiled at her. "Anything for you, my precious."
Prince Zerilus bellowed as he saw his cousin Xan lying dead and Styxx moving away from his body. Intent on vengeance, the giant Atlantean made straight for the Didymosian prince.
Styxx knew something bad was about to happen as the men around him shrank back, including the Atlantean he'd been fighting. He practically ran away from Styxx.
This cannot be good.
He turned to find a mountain of a man charging him like a stampeding house.
Aw shit ...
Suddenly, he felt like he was ten-and-two again and Galen was hammering him with blows while he lay helpless on the ground, unable to counter them.
The giant threw a spear. Styxx turned out of the way, but it passed so close to his body that it scraped his bicep. He'd barely lifted his hoplon before the mountain brought a sword down on him with enough force that he thought he'd broken his arm. No, not broken ...
Shattered.
Hissing, Styxx rolled away then checked to make sure his arm still worked.
It did, but it wasn't happy about it.
The giant lunged. Styxx stepped aside then brought his xiphos down across his opponent's extended arm. His opponent rolled and met the stroke with his own sword.
Turning, Styxx stepped back. The giant was breathing hard, labored. That was his key to surviving this. While the man was insanely huge, he was a lot older, and he was tiring. If Styxx could just stay out of range and wear his opponent out a bit more, he should be able to take him.
But he'd only have one shot. If he missed ...
He'd be testing that immortal claim again.
Lowering his head, Styxx charged in then darted back, making the man overextend and step quickly after him. As he did so, he realized that all the men around the two of them had stopped fighting so that they could watch them.
Great. An audience for my humiliation and probable death. Just what I craved ...
Whatever you do, old man, don't throw me down on the ground in front of everyone and feel me up before you kill me.
His worst fear, other than losing his head, was that someone might have seen Xan groping him.
Styxx arched his back as the giant made a swing that narrowly missed him. Then he brought his xiphos up. The giant stepped back and slammed his smaller round shield into Styxx's bruised side. More pain exploded and his sight dimmed.